“She doesn’t think you’re imaginingthings?”
“She also wants to find the girls andquestion them. But we can’t let her.”
“Why not? Crazy Lilith stabbed you inthe gut, remember? Maybe your mum should give them a good telling off.”
“No! You don’t understand.”
“How is the gut by the way?”
“It’s fine, but-”
“Really? You heal fast.”
Bill gave Arthur a serious lookthrough his thick black glasses. “Arthur, listen to me. She’s a nut and so areher friends. They’re all in some sort of weird cult. I think they want to lockthe girls up in the cellar and torture them.”
“I know your mum’s a bit odd but-”
“They want to find that monster I sawin the church. They think the girls are protecting it.”
“And this weird cult thing, are youin it?”
Bill pulled up the sleeve of hispurple velvet jacket, revealing the tattoo of the writhing salamander. “I guessI am. One night mother made me put on a big white robe and took me down to theGreat Hall. I saw about twenty people standing in a circle, also wearing robesand clutching bibles. There were red candles and a crucifix chalked on thefloor.”
“That is so awesome.”
“I had to stand in the middle of thecircle, holding a bible, and repeat a pledge to God keep the human race safefrom dark pagans, or the ‘Devil’s Bane’ as they called them. Then some madlooking old woman gave me the tattoo.”
Arthur looked impressed. “So, you’re apagan hunter. Cool.”
“I don’t want to hunt anything. I justwant to go to university, remember who I am and have a nice normal life.”
“That sounds a bit boring. You’rebetter off hunting pagans.”
The Rolls went through the suburbs ofMiddenmere and on into a maze of streets lined with medieval buildings. Theygot to Conatus College, drove under the stone arch and up the driveway.
“Mother made me promise I’d ring herlater,” said Bill. “She also said that if I don’t go and see Professor Noxstraight away then Mordred will fetch me.”
“Fetch you?”
“And take me to Brimstone Manor, whereI will not be allowed to leave.”
“They can’t do that.”
“I’m starting to think my mother isn’thow mothers are supposed to be, not like your mum.”
“She can’t lock you up, that’s childcruelty.”
“I don’t ever want to go back to theManor. It’s a horrible place.”
“You can stay with us. We’ve got aspare room in the attic.”
“I think I’d like that.”
“And forget all about seeing this Noxdude, he sounds as nutty as your mum. Let’s just get to our rooms and have athink about what we want to join.”
“Join?”
“Don’t you remember? Fresher’s Fairstarts today.”
“What about Ophelia and Lilith? Mothersaid they are evil and have to be punished.”
“If we see those two crazies we’llavoid them as well.”
An image of Ophelia’s pretty faceappeared in Bill’s mind and he felt butterflies in his stomach.
*
Laterthat day Bill and Arthur left college and made their way to the top of HighStreet, where they found a large red-brick building – The University ofMiddenmere Sports Hall – with a sign pinned to the door that said:
UMSUFresher’s Fair – here all week!
Theywent inside, followed signs to the gymnasium and found dozens of stallsattended by undergraduates in appropriate costume. The place was packed withhundreds of bustling noisy students.
As Bill and Arthur pushed through thecrowd, having a good look round, they were amazed at the sheer number ofsocieties they could join. There was the Prison Reform society, four dramaticsocieties, the Gilbert and Sullivan Appreciation Society and the YoungConservative Club. They passed a showcase of up and coming college balls, theTap Dancing Revue and a group in red jackets at the Hunt stall. They stopped atThe University of Middenmere Debating Society and Arthur argued with a tall, thinand snooty looking undergraduate on a number of disparate topics then signedup.
After an hour of wandering around theyspotted a familiar face. George – one of the boys they’d had a drink in the pubwith – was behind a stall dressed in a white t-shirt and black leather jacketwith the collar turned up. His hair was combed into a large quiff.
“Hello,” he said. “I’m supposed to beJames Dean, but I haven’t got to gut for it. This is my girlfriend Sally, orshould I say Marilyn.”
A very pale thin girl was standingbeside him in a white dress, with red lipstick and a blonde wig. “Are yougentlemen joining the Film Club?” she said.
Arthur and Bill both signed up. Arthurhad seen many films but Bill wasn’t even sure what a film was – unlike theJunior Common Room, there was no television at Brimstone Manor and he couldn’tremember if he’d ever been to a place Arthur called a cinema.
“Frank’s been looking all over foryou,” said George to Bill.
“For me?”
“Yeah, he was kicking up a right fussabout it, said it was very important. He even knocked at your room early thismorning but couldn’t get an answer.”
Bill wondered why Frank, who he’d metonly once before, would want to see him so desperately. “Where is he?”
“Over at the Choral Society. He mightdrink beer by the bucketful and love eating pies but you should hear him sing.A veritable nightingale! Over there.”
George pointed to the far side of thegymnasium. Bill and Arthur said goodbye and jostled their way through thecrowd. When they got to the stall they found a collection of well-scrubbedyoung men and women in black suits, with Father Figgs, the tubby bespectacledChaplin, sitting in the corner.
Frank was behind the stall and when hesaw Bill he looked very pleased with himself. He tapped Father Figgs on theshoulder and whispered something into his ear, then looked at Bill and twistedhis chubby face into a smile.
“There you are my lad! Found you atlast,” he said, coming over from behind the stall and slapping a meaty hand onBill’s back. Frank was much large and fatter than Bill. He loomed in a slightlyoverbearing manner.
“Err, hello Frank,” said Bill. Heglanced at Arthur and exchanging a puzzled look.
“Our newest recruit,” said Frank.
“Welcome aboard,” said Father Figgswith a beady-eyed smile at Bill. “I’ve heard you’ve been a bit of a disobedientboy. Supposed to go and see Nox and you haven’t. This
